Did you know that the Macadamia Nut has both a month long celebration in February, but an entire day – and that would be today. As it turns out, the symbol of Hawaii isn’t even a native of Hawaii. It’s a transplant from Australia.
I’m so proud of us – we spent four glorious days in Hawaii back in February, and not once did we buy a box of Chocolate Macadamia Nuts as a souvenir. Nope, we bought Kona Coffee instead. Although I think the chocolates would have been cheaper.
Years ago, Kiddo and I had a Luau Day. We put sand in the bottom of a wading pool, then filled it with water and put chairs around the pool to “pretend” we were on a Hawaiian vacation. I made my infamous Kahlúa Pig, sticky rice and Banana Macadamia Nut Bread. Kiddo and I once traveled the world, both in real life and through the use of our imagination. It was a hands-on learning process that I am so glad we were able to pursue.
When Macadamia Nut Day rolled around this year, I thought why not recreate that memory now? Enjoy!
Clay Pot Slow Roasted Kahlua Pig
2 (1 lb) Pork Tenderloin
3 cups Chicken Stock
Liquid Smoke to taste
1 tablespoon Alaea Salt or to taste
4 Banana Leaves or 1 Banana Peel (optional)
Heat oven to 325-degrees.
Diamond Score pork tenderloins on each side without cutting through. Rub about a handful of Alaea Salt over tenderloins. Take care not to over-salt, seasoning can always be adjusted during final cooking process.
Sprinkle pork with liquid smoke – simply place your finger over the bottle opening and gently shake over entire pork loin.
Place seasoned pork in a clay pot with a lid. Drape banana leaves or banana peel over top of pork. Add chicken stock to pot, cover and place in the oven to “roast”.
Cook undisturbed for 2 hours. Discard banana leaves/peel. Break tenderloins apart using a fork.
Reduce oven to 300-degrees. Cover, continue to cook, checking periodically and flaking meat with a fork.
Add additional chicken stock if necessary to keep pork moist. Cook until meat falls apart easily, about 90 minutes longer. When the pork is nearly finished, taste and adjust seasonings (adding small amounts of salt and/or liquid smoke as needed). Be gentle when adding more salt or smoke; you can always add more, but you can’t take back too much.
Remove from oven, shred pork apart using large fork. Cover and let rest in pot to soak up remaining liquid, about 10 minutes. Serve with rice.
Note: A nice presentation would be to line a serving platter or individual plates with lettuce leaves. Top leaves with sticky rice, and serve pig over rice. Drizzle with a little juice and garnish with a pretty tropical flower. If you are unsure of the flower, use an artificial one. Just be sure to wash well first.
Sticky Rice
2 cups White Rice
3 cups Water
1 cup Chicken Stock
Pinch Kosher Salt
Place rice in a saucepan with water and chicken stock. Add a pinch of Kosher Salt.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Note: You will have a lot of rice. Perfect for making your favorite Fried Rice in the next day or two.
And the star of the day . . .
Macadamia Banana Bread
4 large Bananas
1 cup Sugar
2 large Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
2 cups Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 cup Macadamia Nuts, divided
Heat oven to 350-degrees. Spray a bread loaf pan with baking spray.
Peel and mash bananas, place in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add sugar, eggs, vanilla and oil to the mixer. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about a minute.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add flour mixture to the banana mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
Chop macadamia nuts. With a rubber spatula, fold 3/4 cup chopped nuts into the banana bread mixture. Pour mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
Top loaf with remaining 1/4-cup nuts. Place in the oven to bake for about an hour or until tester comes out clean. Begin checking for doneness at about 50 minutes, adjust time remaining accordingly.
Serve warm with a little butter if desired.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in Him our hearts rejoice;
in His holy name we trust.
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